Underreamer for mineral boring.



PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

A. GUMMINGS. UNDBRRBAMBR FOR MINERAL BORING.

APPLIGATIN FILED FEB.25.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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JHM

PATENTED MAY l, 1906.

ALEXANDER C'UlliitilNGS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

UNDERREAER FIOR viiNERAL BORING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 25, 1905.

Patented May 1, 1908. Serial Nm 247,240i.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER C UMMrNcs, of the city of Los Angeles, in the county ot' Los Angeles, in the State of California, have invented a new or Improved Underreamer for Mineral Boring, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion or specilication, reference being had o the annexed drawings, and to the letters marked thereon.

This invention, which relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction and operation of underreamers, such are used in enlarging a bore-hole or well which has been drilled in mineral formations or strata of the earths crust, consists of a pair of cutting-jaws which are capable of belng closed suiclently to enable the underreamer to be lowered through the casing which is usually employed to line and protect such bore-holes or wells. These jaws are each pivoted to the upper part of thc do- Vice by which the cutting edges of the underlreamer are connected to the rods of the mineral-boring apparatus, and these parts :irc otherwise so constructed that while during descent of the underreamer within the casing the jaws are closed together and prevented from bearing directly against the interior oi the casing, yet the cutting parts of the jaws are free to open outward to the width nocessary for the underreaming operation so soon as the underreamer has passed downward and sufliciently far below the bottom of the casing to enable the underreaming operation to be roceeded with.

pon the annexed drawings, Figure 'l is an elevation of my new or 'improved under-- reamer, showing the cutting-ja in their fully-opened position and they appear and are situated in the act oi uinlerreaming a bore-holebelow the casing or lining shown in the uppe art ofthe gure in transverse section, the ower part of the auger-stein to which mynew or improved un erreainer is connected by a tapered screw in the ordinary manner being also shown in transverse section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ol my new or improved underreamer, showing the cut ting-jaws and all the other parts of the device in the position which they occupy when Within the casing of the bore-hole or welll Fig. 3 is a view of my new or improved underreamer, partly in elevation and partly in transverse section, showing the saine at rigid angles to Figs. 1 and Fig. 4t is a transverse section of the casing, showing the bottoni the underroamer as it appears when descending through or inclosed within the casing. lig is an inverted plan of the bottom ofthe underrcamer, showingits cutting-jaws opened out to their full width or in their operating position corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of my new or improved une derreainor, showing one of the detachable parts thereof removed in order to the better display the construction of the interior parts olA the device. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the lateral detachable parts.

As shown by F l to 7, my undcrreamer is attached to the ordinary auger-stem by means ol' a tapered screw A, screwed into the socaet B. The stock or body of the underreainer comprises a part C, between the lateral parts (lof which the cutting-jaws l) are disposed, pins E and l1" etending transversely theretln'ough. rins lil and F aside from assisting in `uiding the jaws in their movennmt within the stock also cooperate with the pins E and F to securely connect the lateral pieces C with the part (l. The lower and upper pins E F and E and F are prei'- erably formed with tapered heads at one end fitting into corresponding holes in the sides (5 (V, as shown in the drawings, while through a hole in the opposite end of each a split pin 'G passed to prevent the respective pins from in any way falling out of the holes in which they arc contained.

l he aws l) are held in their open position (shown at Figs. l, 5, and 6) by the lower portion C oi each lateral piece C', becoming situated between the parts D when the jaws D are drawn into their uppermost position-` that is to say, with the u )oer parts D l bearing against the to i and between the sides olz the recess ll, as sliown dotted in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Figs. 3, 5, and

rlhe inner walls of the reainer at H H are shouldered or inclined at an angle adjacent to the recesses H ll to engage the upper ends D D" oi the jaws when the latter' are in the lowered position. mediate points ll upon their adjacent faces the jaws D are formed with angular engagingl portions in pivotal contact, the action of the aws when moved in a vertical direction within the body ot the reamer being to rock upon each other, the lower or cutting ends of the jaws being expanded and the upper ends D D retracted, or vice versa, as a conse- 11o queries oit' the engagement of said ends D with the inclined shoulders I (Shown in Fig. 2.) At interj IOO holding the cutting-jaws D l) in close contact with the lower ends of the lateral nieces C and the upperprolongations D of these jaws in hard contact with the top of the recess H.

For the more securely holding of the cuttin -jaws l? D in their operative positions eac jaw has vertical projections K, which enter into corresponding recesses in the lower end of each lateral piece C". The slots E land F in each jaw-piece, respectively, are

constructed with ltlielupper end of each of these slots widening inward, as shown par-l ticularly at Figs. 1, 2, and 6, the reason for this extension of these slots in the manner and directions shown in the drawings being to prevent the pins E and F kfrom impeding the moving of the jaws D Dinto their closed position when the jaws are drawn downward or outward from the other parts of the underreamer device-es, for example,when entering it into the casing B, when lowering the underreamer down the casing B, or in drawing it u ward into and through the casing B-w ien t e bore-hole is ready for the chips and sand accumulated therein from the underreaming operations to be removed by lowering the sand-purn or equivalent device, as is well understoo in the practice of mineral boring.

The cross-tail J has a rod-receiving opening of the properrshape to receive the end of the spring-actuated rod d, the'latter being swaged with a rounded head and ribs on opposite sides of said head to prevent rotation of the rod when the nut i is being placed in' position thereon.

To prevent the cutting edges of the jaws DvD from coming into contact with the inner surface of the casing C, either when being lowered or being raised through the casing B, each jaw D may be itted with a removable contactieee M, which is thick enough to bearwit its outer narrow edge against the interior of the casing While the inner edge bears against the outer parts of the jaws D D and their'connections, as shown at Fig. 2, thus maintaining the cutting edges of the jaws out of contact with the interior surface y of the cas' B while the underreamer is beingI` assed t erethrough.

e contact-pieces M are readily detachable and the ends thereof are bent angularly to enter holes c c,v spaced apart upon the outer relationshipv of the parts v faces of the jaws. constructed of various sizes of either square or round rods, the size of the rod employed determining-the distance between/the cut-A ting-jaws and the casing. The cutting-jaws, as shown, are formed angular u on their outer faces and are rounded at the ase adj acent to their cutting edges to permit the jawsl to be more readily withdrawn and inserted into the casing.

structing the sides C" ofthe body C of the underreamer removable or detachable, as hereinbefore described and shown on the draw#4 ings, the sides Cmay also be in one solid piece of metal with the central body part C,

These contact-pieces are'T in which case the upper pins E F are not K' used. i HavingV described my invention, whatal claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat'-m ent, isf 1. In an underreanier, a body having va rev cess extending upwardly into its lower end, 'ai pair of jaws vertically movable in the recess and having tilting engagement with' each other, the sides of the jaws ingr contact means for actuating the jaws tocause the u per ends thereof to contract simultaneous y' i with the expansion of their lower ends, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an underreamer, a

between lateral portions thereof, a vpair ofjaws in having free vertical movement between said lateral portions but held from sidewise movetilting engagement with each other,

body having a re? A cess extending upwardlyiinto-itslower end` ico ment by said lateral portionshrneans for acl'v 'i tuating the jaws thereof to retract simultaneously with the to cause the upper ends:l i m5 expansion of their lower ends, and transverse guide-pins carried by the lateral portions `of l the body adapted to engage the jaws to guide them in their movement, substantally.. as

shown and described.

. 3. In an underreamer, a body provided with a socket at its lower end, apair of jaws vertically slidable in said socket and provided upon their adjacent faces with angular fulcrurn portions having slots adjacent in contact, said jaws alsov to ktheir fu'lcrum portions, guide-pins' carried by the body and eX- 1 tending through said slots, resilient means for holding said jaws normally in raised position in the socket in the body, and means for to cause the uppenends` l simultaneously with the actuating the jaws thereof to retract expansion of the lower ends thereof, substan-` tially as described.

4. in an underreamer,

a body having 'projecting portions C and provided with re cesses adjacent to said port1ons,:.a pair of jaws` i slidable in the lower end of the body and in .tilting engagement with eachother, means for normally maintaining said jaws in ele- 7,5v 'it is, to be understood that in place of conl y being rm slid-4 if with the walls of the recess, and i substantially as described.

vated position in the body, and lateral portions upon said jaws engaging the sides of the portions C and entering the recesses adjacent thereto to hold the lower ends of the jaws apart when elevated, substantially as described.

5. In an underreamer, a body having a socket at its lower end, a pair of jaws in said socket in tilting engagement with each other, said jaws having slots adjacent to the tilting portions, guide-pins carried by the body and extending through the slots in the jaws, means for holding the jaws normally in raised position, means for expanding the lower ends of the jaws when in raised position, and portions C upon the body disposed between the lower ends of the jaws and adapted to posi tively hold the latter expanded when raised, substantially as described. j

6. In an underreamer, a body, al pair of jaws vertically slidable in the body, means for normally holding said jaws in raised position, means for expanding the lower ends ol" the jaws when in raised position, and interengaging portions disposed at the lower' end of the body and on the sides of the jaws to positively hold the latter expanded when in raised position, substantially as described.

7. In an underreamer, a body provided with downwardly-projecting portions C at its lower end, a pair of jaws vertically mov'- able in the body and in tilting engagement with each other, means for normally holding said jaws in raised position, and laterallyprojecting portions upon said jaws adapted to contactwith the portions C when the jaws are raised to positively hold the latter open,

S. In an underreanier, a body having a socket providedwitb recesses H at its upper end and havingtthc inclined shoulders H adjacent to said recesses, said body having the projection C", and upwardly-extending recesses at the sides ol'v the projection C, a pair of jaws disposed in the socket in the body, each jaw having a shank the upper end of which is adapted to engage one of the inclined shoulders H and be guided into the recess ll, projections Ii on opposite sides ol each jaw adapted to enter the recesses at the sides of the portions C", said jaws also having contacting angular portions upon their adjacent faces, a spring-actuated rod disposed axially in the upper' end of the body, and a cross-tail carried at the lower end of said rod adapted to engage the upper ends of the aws, substantially as described.

9. In an underreamer, a body provided with a socket, a pair of jaws slidably mounted in the socket in pivotal Contact with each other, said jaws being provided on their outer faces with a pair ot' spaced perforations, and detachable contact-pieces adapted to be interposed between th(` tace of the jaws and the well-casing, said contact-pieces consisting of metal hars having angular' bent ends adapted for insertion into said spaced perforations, substantially as described.

ln testinioliy whereof I, the said ALEXAN- Dnn CUMMINGs, have hereunto set my hand and seal, at 'lios Angeles aforesaid, in the presence of two subscribing uitnesses.

Mariscal: ct'iinlxcs.

Vitnesses:

S'r. tons' DAY, IIADAssAn DAY.

li.. s] 

